Email Automation 101: How To Use Automation

But if you’re new to the email marketing game, you probably have a few questions about it!

So, to help you get a better grasp on what it is, why it’s important and how it can help you get the incredible results you want, here’s a quick guide to email automation and how to use it in AWeber.

The basics of email automation

Some marketers send every subscriber the same exact message with one-time emails.

The thing is, this generic content isn’t necessarily relevant or valuable to subscribers.

But, with the creation of smart automation, emails send themselves! And, they can be segmented and properly timed, which will make them more relevant too.

But how does it do all of that?

Email automation saves you time and makes email marketing easy. No more manually sending subscribers an email every time you want to communicate. Or stressing about sending an email to customers exactly a week after they bought a product or signed up for a trial. Automation does the work for you!

In the example below, Blue Bottle Coffee uses email automation to welcome new subscribers after they sign up:

But there’s no limit to how you can use automation. It can be used to trigger emails or email series that send based on almost any action: a newsletter sign up, an eBook download, a purchase, etc.

When consumers get emails with information that’s relevant to them, they’re more likely to click through your email. Plus, relevant content reduces the risk of your message getting deleted or ending up in the dreaded spam folder.

3. It saves you time

When you’re running a small business, you don’t have time to write and deliver emails to each individual subscriber.

Luckily, email automation can do all that work for you!

With automation, you can set a schedule for when your emails go out and to whom. And your email marketing platform will send those emails for you at the right time. This gives you more time to craft relevant and effective messaging, which is the key to boosting click-through rates, conversions and overall consumer engagement.

Email automation gives you a unique and convenient way to nurture the connection you have with your audience. And that is the key to maintaining engagement with your subscribers!

Need help figuring out exactly what to write in your emails? We’ve created 45+ email copy templates to solve this problem! Download them now.

Types of automated emails

Now that you know why automation is so important, discover how you can use it.

There are a ton of different types of automated emails series that you can use for your business. Let’s cover some of the most important ones so you can get ideas for your next series.

Welcome series

Your first point of contact after a subscriber signs up to your list …

We first deliver bonus content, then set expectations for future emails. Then, we let readers know a little bit more about AWeber! In following emails, we also share relevant blog posts and ask readers to whitelist us.

Educational email course series

Do you have a ton of experience and wisdom to share about a specific topic?

Are there questions your audience asks that you find yourself answering time and time again?

Consider an email course!

Here’s how you can use automation to set up an email course:

Write a welcome email that delivers the first lesson.

Set a wait time of one or two days between each lesson.

At the end of the course, encourage social sharing to increase course sign ups and continue the cycle.

Ask for feedback so you can deliver more relevant content, resulting in more valuable emails.

We make sure to highlight the value in taking the survey so subscribers are given a reason to complete it. We also tell readers exactly how long the survey is so they aren’t scared away by the time commitment.

Customer onboarding series

You can send this automated series to new customers to keep them engaged and encourage them to become repeat buyers.

To inform and convert subscribers into paying customers, include these resources in your series:

How to get started

Training videos and help-based articles

FAQs

Information about new products and how they solve problems

Exclusive deals that only subscribers can get

Educational resources and how they solve problems

Remember, when trying to promote a new product, focus on the value to the buyer.

Check out this email from Boords that promotes their recent developments, emphasizing how they are solving problems.

Writer Javacia Harris Bowser of See Jane Write advises, “Share valuable information with your email list often and promote your products or services to this list occasionally. A good rule to follow is give, give, give, ask.”